Simulation of transitions between "pasta" phases in dense matter

Calculations of equilibrium properties of dense matter predict that at subnuclear densities nuclei can be rodlike or slablike. To investigate whether transitions between phases with nonspherical nuclei can occur during the collapse of a star, we perform quantum molecular dynamic simulations of the compression of dense matter. We have succeeded in simulating the transitions between rodlike and slablike nuclei and between slablike nuclei and cylindrical bubbles. Our results strongly suggest that nonspherical nuclei can be formed in the inner cores of collapsing stars.     

Personal evaluation structure of environmental sounds: experiments of subjective evaluation using subjects’ own terms

In this study, we conducted an experiment to investigate the evaluation structure that lies at the basis of peoples’ psychological evaluation of environmental sounds. In the experiment, subjects were given cards on each of which a name of one of the environmental sounds in the specified context is written. Then they did the following three tasks: (1) to sort the cards into groups by the similarity of their impressions of the imagined sounds; (2) to name each group with the word that best represented their overall impression of the group; and (3) to evaluate all sounds on the cards using the words obtained in the previous task.These tasks were done twice: once assuming they heard the sounds at ease inside their homes and once while walking outside in a resort theme park. We analysed the similarity of imagined impression between the sounds with a cluster analysis and clusters of sounds were produced, namely, sounds labelled “natural,” “transportation,” and so on. A principal component analysis revealed the three major factors of the evaluation structure for both contexts and they were interpreted as preference, activity and sense of daily life.     

NMR study of nearly itinerant antiferromagnetic Y1−xScxMn2

The NMR investigation of Y_0.97Sc_0.03Mn₂ has revealed that this compound remains paramagnetic down to 4.2 K. The nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rates, 1/T₁, of ⁵⁵Mn and ⁴⁵Sc in Y_0.97Sc_0.03Mn₂ show the T dependence as predicted from the self-consistent renormalization (SCR) theory of spin fluctuations for nearly antiferromagnetic metals.     

Inclusion property of (R,R)-(-)-trans-2,3,-bis(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)-1,4-dioxaspiro[4,4]nonane for aromatic components

An optically active host molecule, (R,R)-(-)-trans-2,3-bis(hydroxydiphenylmethyl)-1,4- dioxaspiro[4,4]nonane (1), is able to form inclusion complexes with nonpolar aromatic components such as benzene, toluene, p-xylene, mesitylene, and ethylbenzene. The host 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2 with a = 15.694(2), b = 9.326(2), c = 18.457(1) Å, = 10.34(1)°, and Z = 4. An inclusion complex (1-B) of 1 with benzene crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2 with a = 17.007(4), b = 19.670(5), c = 8.634(4) Å, and Z = 4. An inclusion complex (1-X) involving both 1 and p-xylene has the monoclinic space group P2₁ with a = 17.211(3), b = 20.143(3), c = 8.603(3) Å, = 92.64(2)°, and Z = 2. In the inclusion complexes, molecules of 1 are dimerized by intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonds forming eight-membered (OH)₄ rings. The benzene and p-xylene molecules fit into the voids of the crystal packing of 1. In addition, the inclusion complexes are stabilized by van der Waals contacts between the hydrophobic sites. Thermal analysis of the inclusion complexes indicated that the number and the size of the alkyl group of the aromatic components affects the stability of the inclusion complexes.     

Surface charge measurement in surface dielectric barrier discharge by laser polarimetry

Measurements of surface charge in a surface dielectric barrier discharge driven in atmospheric air were successfully demonstrated by a laser polarimetry. AC voltage at a frequency of 2 kHz generated the discharge between an exposed electrode and the dielectric barrier over a buried electrode. Although the discharge behaviors varied depending on the polarity of the exposed electrode, there were no differences in the tendency and amplitude of the surface charge accumulation except the polarity. With higher applied voltage, the amount of surface charge became larger and the charge was distributed farther from the exposed electrode.